Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article explores the rising popularity of PDRN, a DNA-derived anti-aging ingredient, in Korean-founded beauty products, highlighting its effectiveness and affordability.
I’ve always insisted that if you want effective skin care with innovative ingredients at reasonable prices, then you should explore the world of Korean-founded beauty. I felt validated in my belief when I reported on a unique serum that was rapidly growing in popularity due to the inclusion of one anti-aging ingredient: polydeoxyribonucleotide, or PDRN for short.
PDRN, we learned from board-certified dermatopathologist and skin care brand founder Dr. Gretchen Frieling, is a portion of DNA that’s typically derived from salmon sperm (you may have heard a similarly-named facial invoked by members of the Kardashian family and their ilk) and is widely used in regenerative and functional medicine, especially in Korea.
This could be the reason we are seeing the recent boom in PDRN-containing products available over the counter — products exactly like the earlier-mentioned Iope PDRN Caffeine Shot serum, which immediately became a favorite among HuffPost readers.
Since then, the PDRN product market has expanded to include formulations like the ones featured in the collection below, many of which have been recommended to us by Frieling, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr. Dara Spearman, and others.
Board-certified Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel Gould suggested the Iope PDRN Caffeine serum, a product with which we’re well acquainted and the recipient of an official HuffPick shopping award. In addition to PDRN — which in this specific formulation is derived from green tea and plants, according to Gould — this well-loved and extremely popular serum contains a more recognizable combination of ingredients. These include niacinamide — a versatile antioxidant that many swear by for everything from brightening skin to managing redness — and probiotics, an unlikely ingredient that dermatologists have previously told HuffPost can do wonders for keeping skin healthy and strong. It also features caffeine, which has antioxidant properties and may aid in reducing the appearance of wrinkles caused by sun damage.
$43 at Amazon | $43 at Sephora
Spearman suggested this recognizable pink serum by Medicube, a Korean beauty brand that’s quickly become synonymous with tons of PDRN-based products, from jelly masks to toners and face creams. The PDRN peptide serum is one of Medicube’s best sellers on Amazon, and in addition to salmon sperm-derived PDRN, it’s enriched with a complex containing five different types of peptides. According to dermatologists that we previously spoke to, peptides are amino acid proteins known to boost collagen production, improve skin texture and promote wound healing.
VT Cosmetics PDRN 100 Essence, a vegan product that contains at least a 10% concentration of PDRN sourced from wild-grown Korean ginseng. According to the brand, ginseng-derived PDRN has a low molecular weight, meaning it’s extra stable and offers maximum absorption into the skin. Safe for day and night use, the VT essence also contains panthenol to calm red and troubled skin and ceramides, which are essential for a strong and healthy skin barrier.
Microneedling is an expensive and slightly uncomfortable in-office procedure that can do wonders for hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, fine lines, and more. While not always a feasible option for most, the microneedling alternative is a much more affordable alternative with the added benefit of Korean wild ginseng PDRN. According to the brand, this innovative formula uses a “micro-needling mechanism that promotes instant skin enhancement for a smoother, softer feel.” This component also maximizes product absorption for better results and will impart a slight tingling feeling on the skin.
A multi-use balm by Korean-founded brand Kahi can be used all over the face, on the neck, under the eyes and even on the lips. The plumping and dewy formula has a natural fermented jeju oil base that’s meant to deeply nourish skin and uniquely contains salmon-derived collagen to target things like volume loss.
In terms of anti-aging benefits, Frieling and board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr. Dara Spearman, said that PDRN stimulates collagen and elastin production to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and address volume loss.
Frieling supplied additional context:
Spearman said that vegan alternatives – derived from plants like wild ginseng — have similar benefits despite not being molecularly identical, and all PDRN currently approved for clinical or in-office use is the kind that’s extracted from salmon sperm or a similar fish like trout.
